adult sentences for minors

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I don't think that minors (of serious crimes) should be let go when they're 18. I just don't think they should be tried as adults before they've reached the age that we consider adult in the u.s.. I think things need to be adjusted so that while not being tried as adults does not mean that they are let off the hook at 18.

Well I think the entire American system of justice is an abomination, fundamentally incapable of producing any outcome save injustice. So no, I don't think minors - or anyone else - should be subjected to that system.

I mostly only believe in restorative justice. I do believe that punitive / retributive justice is entirely ethically justifiable, if and only if those harmed by said said punitive/retributive process were themselves willful participants in a system of punitive/retributive justice without such a limited scope. That is, I'm 100% pro-death penalty, torture, cruel-and-unusual-punishment, etc. for cops, prison guards, prosecutors, and politicians - but I believe everyone else deserves a system of justice whose primary function and reason for existing is to heal hurts, not to punish wrongdoing.

For those who have a decent chance of going on to live an honest life, I would pretty much agree. There are many, however, who will always be a serious threat to honest citizens unless they are kept locked up. These people should never get out.

I'm frequently appalled by how many people see the justice system as being about getting revenge. Not only do they want to send everyone to prison for a very long time, they want prison to be just as miserable as possible. But a prison that bad isn't going to do much beyond just making those sent there much, much worse. Most will eventually be released and the last thing we want is for them to come out of prison ready to do far worse than they would have done otherwise. Treat prisoners like gladiators and they will become gladiators.

One reason for prison is punishment, but we should send people there "as punishiment", not "for punishment". I can't possibly understand the twisted minds of those who want those sent to prison to be raped nightly by their cellmates as well as every time they go in the shower.

I could care less about the punishment aspect. If we could be reasonably certain that a person would never again reoffend if released, I would be all in favor of releasing them with very little, if any, prison time. Our goal should be to make them someone who contributes to society, not is a leach on it. But for those who would be likely to reoffend, we are all better off if they are warehoused in prison indefinitely.

If we could be reasonably certain that a given punitive system of justice is capable of operating indefinitely without error (that is, without ever inflicting punishment upon a party innocent of the pertinent charge, thus committing an injustice), I might be inclined to agree. I am doubtful that such a system is even theoretically possible; I am certain that no punitive system of justice I have ever heard suggested has ever come close to meeting that criterion.

I firmly believe it's better for any arbitrary number of guilty persons to go free, than for a single innocent person to be imprisoned.

the problem is that there are way too many americans who believe otherwise, that it is perfectly ok for a number of innocents to be ground into the gears of our justice system so long as it insures that the guilty will get their due, at least until it happens to them or somebody close to them. too many people think it can't happen to them.

Probably one of the scariest shows I've seen is lockup on msnbc. I don't see how someone could come out of a place like that without serious psychological scarring. Just the look in most of the inmates eyes gives me the feeling that they are experiencing extreme paranoia. I don't think that goes away once they get out. The way things are in penitentiary seems analogous to the idea that if some guy's a jerk, all he needs is the crap to be beaten out of him for him to be a better person. Does that really work?

I believe that this is acceptable, provided the following criteria are met:

1) the minor has committed an extremely serious crime

2) the minor is at least fourteen to sixteen years old (depending on the offense)

3) the minor is mentally capable of understanding what he/she did wrong

The justice system in the USA is an abomination. Adult sentences for minors? Out of the question. Anyone remember George Stinney?

re: George Stinney - it would appear that racism is America's original sin that keeps haunting us. to quote William Faulkner, "the past isn't dead. it isn't even past." in place of openly calling black folk the n-word many angry white folk now call them "animals" and such. it is the same thing.

It depends, I had read that a group of 15-year old punks (boys) murdered an old woman, I do not know why they would be treated in a special way, and be treated leniently?